Suspected violation of sanctions North Korea’s resolution Panamanian vessel South Korea was detained

South Korean Ocean Fisheries and Marine Police Department sources revealed today that the Panamanian oil tanker suspected of violating the UN Security Council resolution on North Korea’s test missiles has been parked in Busan Port and is currently under investigation by the South Korean Marine Police.

The UN Security Council passed a sanctions resolution on North Korea’s test-fire missiles in 2017, demanding that North Korea reduce its annual refined oil imports from 2 million barrels to 500,000 barrels, and the amount of crude oil imports should not exceed the annual limit of 4 million barrels.

South Korea’s joint news agency pointed out that the 1014-ton class oil tanker was suspected of transferring oil to the “Jinjinjiang” oil tanker sanctioned by the UN Security Council on July 17, last year in Chongjin Port, North Korea, from July to December. The North Korean vessel transferred oil three times.

The report pointed out that after the Panamanian oil tanker entered the Busan Port for maintenance in February this year, it was jointly investigated by the South Korean intelligence and customs authorities. The Busan Marine Fisheries Department made the decision to suspend the vessel on the 15th of the same month, but because of Russia. The shipowner refused to enter the country and brought difficulties to the investigation.

A total of eight vessels have been detained in South Korea for alleged violations of the UN Security Council sanctions North Korea, and six vessels have been found to have violated the resolution.